Mass. slaying suspect caught in Philadelphia

Author(s):

Associated Press

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — A man suspected of pulling the trigger in a November drug-related slaying in Massachusetts was captured in Philadelphia, law enforcement authorities said Friday.

Jeremy Rodriguez, 19, was caught earlier this week and held without bail following his arraignment Wednesday in Pennsylvania on a fugitive-from-justice charge, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Police Chief Ken Ferguson said in a joint statement.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18. It's not clear if he has a lawyer.

Rodriguez is accused of being one of three people who played a role in the Nov. 20 fatal shooting for 21-year-old Juan Lopez in Framingham. Rodriguez is the suspected shooter and was indicted in Massachusetts on murder and other charges.

Lopez was shot once in the chest by a masked man as he sat in his car during a drug deal, authorities said. The mask was recovered in nearby Natick.

"This case is frightening reminder of the violence that accompanies the business of buying and selling illegal drugs," Ryan said.

A 16-year-old and a 20-year-old man had previously been captured and charged in the case. They are being held without bail on murder and other charges.